FINAL LEGACY OF A WARRIOR
by TJ OR TY
Summary: Gabrielles thoughts after Xenas final battle and death


**_AUTHORS NOTE: I reposted this story after making a single minor change._**

**_Mutant Enemy own all characters i just borrowed them for a while and promise not to break them._**

**Final legacy of a warrior **

It had been six months since the first rays of dawn had hit the mountaintop. Six long months since she had last seen her soul mate. Six months since she was finally able to forgive herself for her past sins.

Gabrielle didn't know how she had survived these past months alone. She had spent the past six years travelling with Xena, surviving adventures and battles the world across. Now she was finally back home to finally lay her friend at rest. She had kept Xena's ashes safe in a pouch that never left her side through the long tiresome journey home.

Gabrielle had bought a small cottage for her and Xena to rest in when their adventures were over. It was high on a hilltop away from everything so they could have lived a peaceful life. That was never meant to happen after Xena's final battle. She could still remember that morning on the mountainside when she had to say goodbye. She had been all set to resurrect Xena again when she was stopped. She looked up into her soul matesblue eyes and saw the sadness in them. She wanted to argue more and make her stay, but the strength was gone. Xena pulled her into her arms one last time and they sat as the sun rose over the wintry mountains. She didn't know what to do when she felt Xena's presence leave her. She was alone for the first time in a long while. Sure they had split up before but this time it was final. Xena wasn't going to be meeting her in the next town, she was gone forever.

Gabrielle sat overlooking the cliff edge in their home and watched as the sun began to set. She wasn't staying at their home for a long while just to rest and say her goodbye's to Xena. She had no family close by; most of them were dead. But that had never bothered her because Xena was her family and her life.

She remembered all their times together. The adventures and the fun they used to have travelling. She also remembered the time's they had betrayed each other and it had seemed like nothing would ever fix their friendship. Each time they had pulled through and their bond had just grown stronger from it. She remembered the pain in her soul mates eyes when she discovered her son slumped over the altar in what was supposed to be a safe house. Her own pain when she realised it was her daughter and she could have stopped this happening a long while before. Their fight, which sent them both crashing to their doom and their battles to find each other and survive the nightmares, they were put through.

She remembered that final journey to China to right a final wrong. Sitting in a room with Xena whilst she was shown the pinch. 'If I only had a 30 seconds to live this is how I'd want to spend them. Looking into your eyes.' Her own pain when she realised what Xena had planned on doing. The short joy when she found her in the forest and the heartache when she realised what it meant. That was when she finally realised how strong she had to be. That was when she became the warrior she had always thought she should be. Her battle for Xena's decapitated body and the longing to strike that fatal blow to her murderer but knowing she couldn't. The pain as she cremated her friends body for the journey ahead. She battled on the mountaintop to get to the spring of life but when it was all ended she had finally succeeded in time. She had been just about to place the ashes in the spring when a hand stopped her. Her soul mate was telling her this wasn't right. How could it have not been right if it had meant they could be together? It's taken six months but finally she understands Xena's reasons for stopping her. She was finally at peace with herself and had no more redemption to fight for.

It was this thought that finally allowed Gabrielle to start letting go and moving on. She knew she would never forget her friend because part of her would always be with her inside. She was half of her soul and until they were reunited on the other side, she would always have part of her missing but she had to live on. She had to make sure Xena's legacy was properly remembered and stored so no one would forget the great warrior princess and everything she did for the world.

She said goodbye to her soul mate and stood to spread her ashes over the cliff where they could fly free like her the soul before them just as she was about to spread the first handful a delicate hand held her wrist. She turned round and looked into the identical green eyes her soul mate once had. Eve stood by her and together they laid Eve's mother and her soul mate to rest. When the final ashes had been released Gabrielle turned and enveloped Eve in a tight hug knowing that together they would always hold Xena close and together they would spread word of her life and the good she did for mankind. For that is the sort of legacy a true hero deserves. All the good and the bad to prove how human they all were.

So until the end of her long days Gabrielle travelled the world with Eve at her side and told the tale of a great warrior princess and her adventures of good and evil. And when the day came for her to pass to the other side she went happily knowing her true love was waiting for her with open arms.


End file.
